1.0 CRISIS OF DUALITY IN EDUCATION SYSTEMS AND DISCIPLINES OF KNOWLEDGE

There are 2 parallel and largely contradictory systems of education: the traditional Muslim system
and the imported European system. Graduates of the 2 systems speak different languages, use different terminologies, and have
contradictory and competing world-views. Graduates of the traditional system have limited understanding or interaction with
the contemporary society. Graduates of the European system are generally not well grounded in the Islamic sciences and have
limited self-confidence in their Islamic intellectual heritage and identity.Duality
of the education system is associated with duality of knowledge and its disciplines: the sciences of religion, uluum al deen, versus sciences of the world, uluum al dunia. The Consequences
of the duality of education and discipline are divided loyalties, confusion in the minds of students,and intellectual schizophrenia of the ummah’s educated
elites. The following attempts at integration of the 2 systems have been partially successful: (a) introduction of European
disciplines at traditional universities such as Azhar (b) introduction of traditional disciplines at modern universities such
as the international Islamic universities in Islamabad
and Kuala Lumpur (c) Islamic full-time schools in UK, USA, South Africa and other countries. The limited success is due to relative failure to address basic intellectual
and conceptual issues to enable development of complete curricula and writing text books reflecting Islamic paradigms. The
above attempts have in some ways been a continuing manifestation of duality only this time occurring in one building. Islamization
of disciplines of knowledge is presented by this paper as the prescription for the crisis of duality.

2.0 THE CONCEPT OF ISLAMIZATION

Islamization of knowledge has become a very popular term and has taken on an identity of
its own such that the semantics are debated without dealing with the underlying concepts. Islamization is a process of recasting
the corpus of human knowledge to conform with the basic tenets of aqidat al tauhid.
When we talk about Islamic or Islamized knowledge we should be careful not to imply that there is knowledge that is not
Islamic. All true knowledge whatever its kind and source is Islamic. Islamic knowledge has no time or space constraints because
Islam is universal being suitable for every place and time. Islamized knowledge will be for the benefit of all humanity and
not monopolized by Muslims. The process of Islamization does not call for re-invention of the wheel of knowledge but calls
for reform, correction, and re-orientation. Islamization is an evolutionary and not revolutionary movement. To avoid any further
semantic confusion the term ‘reform of disciplines’ will be used subsequently in this paper.

Discipline reform is the most important item on the agenda of contemporary
Islamization movement. Successful reform must have the following characteristics: pro-active intellectual effort, academically
and methodologically rigorous, objective, and has practical consequences. The long-term vision is accelerated growth of objective,
universal knowledge that is beneficial to all humanity and allows a harmonious interaction of humans with their physical,
social, and spiritual environment. The practical mission is conceptual transformation of the paradigms, methodologies, and
uses of disciplines of knowledge to conform to tauhid. The immediate goals are
to de-Europeanize basic paradigms of existing disciplines and thus change them from being parochial to being objective and
universal, reconstruct paradigms of disciplines using Islamic universal guidelines, reclassify disciplines of knowledge, reform
the methodology of research, encourage growth of knowledge through research, and inculcate morally correct application of
knowledge

4.0 MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF THE DISCIPLINE REFORM PROGRAM

Reform does not imply that all what was in the discipline was un-Islamic.
There are many good and true things accepted by Islam in many of the modern disciplines. Reform is not theologizing knowledge
since Islam is universal and all-embracing; it does not seek to parochialize knowledge and tailor it to a particular culture
or place. The reform we have in mind is of paradigms, methodology and uses of knowledge and not its contents. Content is changing
so rapidly that reforming it is clearly futile.

5.0 WRONG APPROACHES TO DISCIPLINE REFORM

The following approaches have been used and have not succeeded because
they did not address the core issues of the paradigms and methodology of disciplines: 'Insertion' of Qur'anic verses and hadiths
in an otherwise European piece of writing, searching for scientific facts in the Qur'an, searching for Qur'anic proof of scientific
facts, searching for Qur’anic scientific miracles, searching for parallels between Islamic and European concepts, using
Islamic in place of European terminologies, adding supplementary ideas to the European corpus of knowledge, and adding Islamic
subjects to European school or university curricula. The possibility ofdiscipline
reform by spiritual reform of the student, scholar, or researcher has also been suggested at one time or another.

6.0 MAIN AREAS OF REFORM

The following are the main areas in which discipline reform will be undertaken:
classification of disciplines, epistemology, and methodology. These will be achieved in an ambiance that emphasizes revival
of ijtihad and research, motivation to excel in knowledge, and inculcates correct
attitudes to the use of knowledge especially science and technology.

7.0 USE OF THE QUR'AN IN THE REFORM PROCESS

The Qur’an is very central to the discipline reform process but
must be used correctly. The Qur'an is not a text-book of any discipline although it has data and facts on various disciplines.
The Qur’an gives general principles that establish objectivity and protect against biased research methodology. The
Qur’an creates a world-view that encourages research to extend the frontiers of knowledge and its use for the benefit
of the whole universe

8.0 PRACTICAL STEPS / TASKS OF THE REFORM PROCESS

The following steps must be followed by anyone, individual or teams,
involved in the reform process: (a) Grounding in Islamic sciences: basics of usulal
fiqh,ulum al Qur'an and ulum al hadith, (b) reading Qur'an and sunnat with understanding of
the changing time-space dimensions while at the same time knowing limitations of literal reading and interpretations, (c)
clarification of basic epistemological issues and relations: wahy and aql, ghaib and shahada,
‘ilm and iman, (d) Islamic critique
of basic paradigms of various disciplines, (e) Islamic reviews of existing text-books and teaching materials to identify deviations
from the tauhidi episteme, (f) cumulation of published research, (g) publication
and testing of new school text-books, (g) publication of new text-books and other teaching materials, (h) establishment of
specialized research institutions, and (i) developing applied knowledge in science and technology from basic knowledge.

9.0 THE PRIORITIES AMONG DISCIPLINES

The following is the order of priority for discipline reform: natural
sciences, social sciences, humanities, applied sciences and technology, and Islamic sciences. Natural sciences are trend-setters
both in the field of methodology and social change. Social sciences will be easier to reform because they have now largely
adopted the empirical methodology of the natural sciences. Humanities need to be recast using the Qur’anic methodology
of analyzing the growth and decline of human civilizations and societies. Islamic sciences became fossilized over the centuries
when ijthad was limited; they need a major revival. They will have to be purged
of hellenic, judeo-christian and other influences and will have to be rebuilt directly on the basis of the Qur’an and
authentic sunnat. These important sciences will have to be approached taking the
time-space dimension into consideration.

10.0 THE CHALLENGE: WHAT CAN YOU DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL?

You must develop commitment to the discipline reform process. You must
master your discipline well; you can not reform or improve what you do not know. If you did not get a traditional Islamic
education endeavor to get the minimum essential knowledge of usul al fiqh, Qur’an and hadith methodology. Critique your
discipline on the basis of tauhid and the universal and perennial values of Islam.
Orient your research and teaching to Islamization priorities. Write and publish your ideas and experiences. Net-work with
others who hold similar views and are engaged in similar endeavours. Teach and inspire others to take up the challenge of
educational reform.

ERFAN Niaz And Zahid A Valie. Recommendations Of The Four World Conferences
On Islamic Education: Education And The Muslim World: Challenge And Response. Institute Of Policy Studies Islamabad, Pakistan 1995

ANONYMOUS. Islam: Source And Purpose Of Knowledge: Proceedings Of The
Second Interational Cnference Of Islamic Thought On The Islamization Of Knowledge At IslamabadPakistan, In 1982. International Institute Of
Islamic Thought Herndon 1988

BAKARO. Classification
Of Knowledge In Islam: A Study In The Islamic Philosophy Of Science. Institute Of Policy Research, Kuala Lumpur 1992

ANONYMOUS. Towards Islamization Of Disciplines: Proceedings Of The Third
International Conference Of Islami Thought On The Islamization Of Knowledge At Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1984. International Institute Of Islamic Thought Herndon 1989

ANONYMOUS. Islamization Of Attitudes And Practices In Sciene And Technology:
Proceedings Of A Workshop Held At IIIT In Herndon VirginiaUSA In 1987. International Institute Of Islamic Thought Herndon 1989

ABDULHAMID Abusulayman. The Islamic Theory Of International Relations.
International Institute Of Islamic Thought Herndon 1992